Communities in West Virginia offer residents a welcoming atmosphere, affordable cost of living, and a strong sense of connection to nature and neighbors alike. From charming small towns to vibrant cities like Charleston and Morgantown, West Virginia communities provide friendly neighborhoods, excellent schools, and access to outdoor recreation right at your doorstep. Residents enjoy a slower pace of life, surrounded by the state’s beautiful mountains, rivers, and forests, as well as rich local culture, historic sites, and community events that bring people together.
With safe streets, local businesses, and a true spirit of Appalachian hospitality, living in West Virginia communities means enjoying a high quality of life and a supportive, tight-knit environment where everyone feels at home. Be sure to visit our Communities Travel Guide for information about communities in West Virginia.
The West Virginia Tourism Office has released its 2022 predictive map for fall foliage, estimating the peak of the leaf-peeping season to begin in the Allegheny Mountains in late September. The end of the peak should fall one month later, at the end of October, in the West Virginia lowlands in the northern panhandle, the … Read more
MORGANTOWN, W.Va.—Using data collected by citizens through a mobile app, researchers at West Virginia University are working to understand why some bass are becoming “blotchy.” Brent Murry, assistant professor of aquatic ecology in the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design, and the U.S. Geological Survey’s Eastern Ecological Science Center, hope to uncover information … Read more
CHARLESTON, W.Va.—Over the last four years, the number of farmers’ markets in West Virginia has nearly tripled, according to the W.Va. Department of Agriculture. In 2019, there were 93 registered markets across the state. Now there are 267, according to Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt. “Coming out of a pandemic that shut down food manufacturers, … Read more
Concerns about a decline in bees and butterflies have grown recently. Still, according to a state biologist, West Virginians have a unique opportunity to offer their lush environment to support pollination worldwide. Lawns need not be trim and extensive, and gardeners may find online sources of native plants that are better suited to the environment … Read more
Nearly 35 years after it was established, the first bed-and-breakfast in the New River Gorge is on the market, and times have changed almost inconceivably through the period, according to its owners. “Nothing is the same as it was here 35 years ago,” says Susana McArthur, the third owner of the Garvey House since it … Read more
Three new Civil War Trails signs have been installed in Wheeling, West Virginia, the first phase of a project focused on updating content and improving the visitor experience throughout the city. The new signs replace older versions and offer more engaging text and media to fuel the imagination of visitors, according to Drew A. Gruber, … Read more
When botanist Thomas Meehan died in 1901, I’m sure he went to the big forest in the sky feeling proud that Nathaniel Lord Britton had named a genus of plants in his honor. I’d also bet that he didn’t know how wonderful his namesake plant was. In fact, most people don’t know how wonderful Meehania … Read more
Making maple syrup used to be fairly common in West Virginia, though as more people began buying sugar and other syrups at the store, the practice faded. Technology, however, is putting put a new twist on this old tradition. The Robert C. Byrd Institute at Marshall University is playing a key role in introducing new … Read more
West Virginia officials this week unveiled the state’s new 2022 vacation guide and highway map during a ribbon-cutting at Hawks Nest State Park on the New River Gorge at Ansted, West Virginia. Gov. Jim Justice was joined by Brett McMillion, director of the Department of Natural Resources, and Chelsea Ruby, secretary of the Department of … Read more
Language has partly defined the way people in Appalachia are perceived in other regions of the U.S., according to two researchers at West Virginia University. Yet many natives stand their ground and continue to use vowel sounds that give away their linguistic roots. Kirk Hazen, director of the West Virginia Dialect Project and professor of … Read more
